The present invention, generally, relates to simulator training apparatus and, more particularly, to such simulator training apparatus having an optical visual display.
Optical visual display systems in simulators for training purposes have enjoyed widespread use in the past, and such use has increased dramatically in the more recent years. One reason for this increase in use of optical visual display systems in simulators is the increase in technology available today.
It is a constant objective in the simulator manufacturing field to provide as much realism for a trainee in a simulator as he would expect to encounter in an actual vehicle. This is particularly true in simulators of military vehicles where the trainee must locate visually targets over a wide field of view. It is desirable also to have an infinity image display to make the scene viewed even more realistic.
Vehicle simulators are used to simulate the actual motion of a vehicle in order that one or more trainees may obtain experience without the use of an actual vehicle. The present invention is applicable to aircraft flight simulators and also is applicable equally to simulators for other vehicles and to apparatus generally for simulating a real life situation.
It was a significant improvement in flight simulation and similar display systems when collimation of the displayed image was achieved, that is, by making all image points appear to be at infinity. While this technical advance did much to achieve improved realism, a problem still exists in providing three dimensional scenes. This problem was not so much solved as it was relieved by the technical advance to provide increased perspective in an optical scene that is viewed. For example, an aircraft runway is given an illusion of depth by making the end of the runway nearest the pilot broader with the edges of the runway converging at a distant point even though all points of the runway are imaged at infinity.